Once Upon a Time
by SuzeHeart
Summary: Kagome has a destiny greater than anyone could have ever guessed, and a mission that will test her very nature. If only she can complete it. A story in short chapters. SesshomaruxKagome. Rated T for now, but may mature later. P. S.: New title, same story!
1. One Day

_Prologue_

_As the sun rose, rays of light crawled down the walls, slowly overcoming the shadows filling the bottom of a dry well to fall on blue eyes blinking open in response. You see, at the bottom of this particular well lay a rather remarkable girl._

_This girl, who was so exceedingly human, housed a power that rid anything it touched of the intention to do harm. It was a power generated by a soul created by the gods themselves to fight an evil so cruel and hateful it threatened the very balance of the universe, and embued with the potential to quell a being that, in a misguided quest, could bring the downfall of all he held dear._

_This prophecy, her purpose and her potential, was as of yet unknown to the girl though her soul carried the knowledge _within its depths _ and it would soon be revealed to her._

_But this day, where the rising sun would bring the revelation of the glorious prophecy, is not the beginning. No; the beginning must start, as it always does, with a meeting._


	2. Leap of Faith

**Leap of Faith**

As Kagome stepped into the portal ripped through the air by the black pearl, she was experiencing that peculiar disjointed sensation that comes when one is doing something incredibly stupid. Even as she told Inuyasha to follow her she realized that she would most likely die from this decision. Either it would be at the hands of the mysterious figure that only resembled a light blur on the shoulders of the gigantic oni and claimed to be Inuyasha's brother, or from the much more immediate fact that, well, she was leaping in to fall from the freaking SKY!

Strangely, she was not nearly as afraid as she knew she should be. Kagome had always been strange like that, never having much concern for her own bodily health. Somehow, something inside her had always risen in her with her temper, making her impervious to fear; and she had anger in spades at the moment. _No one_ _messed with her friends!_ There was also that strange draw, as if answers were waiting on the other side of this madness.

So, she leaped.

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><p><strong>AN:** So, is it starting to get clearer now. There will be a brief retelling of events from the canon to show what is going on behind the scene and gradually there will be a divergence from the canon. Luvs, and please review all the chapters. It would make my year.


	3. The Meeting

Disclaimer: I realized I forgot one last time, mostly because I still don't see the point in it, but for this chapter and the last, I don't own Inuyasha. If I did the last episode would have been completely different and Sesshomaru would have more screen time.

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><p><strong>The Meeting<strong>

Through all of the crazy things that had happened to her in the past week, Kagome had never expected to see anything quite as weird as, well… this. She had just ridden on the back of a flying skeleton, and now she was standing on a precipice overlooking the interior of a gigantic demon dog's rib cage. _Surreal, anyone?_

Then she saw him. It only lasted a second but in her mind that instant stretched into hours. She stared wide-eyed at this beautiful statue of a man, _not a man, _her mind whispered, but it only added to the sense of ethereal mystique that surrounded him. He was beautiful, with a fine-boned face adorned with a royal blue crescent moon on his crown and blood-colored stripes on his cheeks that almost hid the last vestiges of childish roundness. That beauty, however, was only a small part of the intense draw that she felt toward him. For that second and that second only, the mortal thoughts that bound her soul ceased, stunned by the intense aura she sensed beneath the surface of his skin. The power that her soul held, the perfect completion of the imperfect power that all with holy powers carry, the holy purity that the kami had gifted her with broke forth. The aura covered the area, fitting against all the cracks and edges of the power given off by Sesshomaru's soul. In that moment her soul felt completion: all of her vacancies filled and her excesses taken in. The draw that had led her to stay close to the incorrigible hanyou who was fast becoming her closest friend seemed to fade in comparison, a mere echo of an attempt to imitate the intimate bond that she was experiencing from the contact of their auras.

A second later the moment was broken. He had moved, her eyes lost sight of him and her soul was drawn back into its bonds. The memories of his actions against them, of who this demon was, of the name that fit him so, Sesshomaru, the Killing Perfection, flooded back. Her anger rose again, hotter than before, and she convinced herself that her mind was the source of the absurd feeling that she had experienced, that her mind was playing tricks on her. From deep within, festering pain from the break in that moment of happiness fueled her fury. As he continued to speak those fetid, barbed insults as if discussing the weather, her rightful fury grew.

She was frustrated at Inuyasha for not defending himself or her from those insults. It was as if he had heard them so many times that he believed the hate-filled words. She was ashamed for letting herself be fooled into a moment of trust for a man so clearly their enemy. Most of all, though, she was hurt, because he had betrayed that momentary trust.

A product of her ire, a vindictive thought grew. _So he cherishes his overgrown pride, huh?_ _Then let's go after it. _As she watched, it grew obvious that Sesshomaru could not touch the sword, but Inuyasha was still getting nowhere for all his blustering aggressiveness. So she called down her devious plan, grinning with glee, "Grab the sword, Inuyasha! If you can't hit him in the body, hit him in the ego!"

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><p>She groaned. Why did Inuyasha have to be so stupid! <em>Oh, well, I can't get the sword so I'll keep fighting the way I have been and leave my friend so I can be an idiot and get us both killed!<em> That's just brilliant, Inuyasha, just brilliant. Now this stupid 2-foot kappa was screeching at her like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread and waving a fire-breathing stick in her face! She finally lost all patience with it and started pelting it with anything she could find, pebbles, shards of bone, and its own stick when she got her hands on it.

Apparently her karma wanted instant gratification since as soon as the annoying thing was finally knocked out, she tripped. Over her own. Two. Feet. Luckily there was something that she managed to grab onto to break her fall, which she latched on to as she stood up, slipping it out of the stone it was lodged in. Unluckily, that _something_ was Tetsusaiga. As she stared at the rusted, nicked old sword in her hands, there was only one thought in her mind.

_Oh, crap._

A/N: There we go, the first meeting. The tale begins. Review and luvs!


	4. Indignant

**Indignant  
><strong>

Sesshomaru had felt it the moment she stepped in front of him. The sudden flood of reiki, the subsequent flaring of his own aura, and the strange connection that was tangible between the two. What he could not reconcile with was the strange contentment, affection, _desire_ that pulled on his instincts.

That this feeling could originate from a mere human was unthinkable, inconceivable to him. This _human_ merited close observation. The aura had subsided almost instantaneously, but the purity left in its wake was resounding, penetrating even Sesshomaru's formidable youki. Strangely though, the aura did no damage to his person. It was as if the reiki had no ill intent toward him. _Of course_, Sesshomaru mused, _that is impossible. Reiki and youki are polar opposites, and any trained miko of this caliber should harbor a hatred for all youkai._

The human showed no knowledge of the event that had just taken place so he assumed, quite correctly, that the woman simply had no training and so was unable to harm him. _Hm,_ he thought,_ this could be useful._ He attempted to put the pathetic pair in their place by expounding how far beneath him they were so that he would not be obliged to fight his father's pup. Inuyasha angered, but Sesshomaru could perceive that it was laced with sadness, the scent of it pervading his nose, sickening him. The miko, though, showed no sign of response beyond incredibly absurd anger levels, completely inappropriate for the situation. He assumed that either the woman had either lost hold of her senses or there was an additional stimulus for her anger.

She soon made a nuisance of herself, sending the boy to the sword, much to his displeasure. Fortunately the sword did not allow him to claim it, though the lack of a barrier and the obvious favoritism that implied infuriated him.

He sparred with the pup, expending just enough energy to assert his total superiority but not enough to actually injure the boy as he recklessly threw himself headfirst at his person. He amused himself by watching the woman out of the corner of his eye as his servant yelled at her. He almost cracked a smile as the tick above her eye grew until she seemed to lose all semblance of patience and began chucking things at the kappa's head, including the staff she had confiscated from her victim. He watched as she tripped herself, arms flailing until they came to rest on the Tetsusaiga. Amusement quickly turned to anger as the sword slipped from the rock as if greased with butter.

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><p><em>Oh, crap.<em>

Kagome's head slowly turned in horror, images of brutal terror flashing behind her eyes as she turned to face the soon-to-be-furious demon lord. In her panic, she relied on old reflexes, blurting out, "Uh... Oops? It just... slipped out. I'm sorry!" The nervous smile quickly slipped off as gazed into the infuriated eyes of Sesshomaru. One pale clawed hand reached out toward her and she instinctively tried to shield herself from with the rusty katana in her hands. A floral, slightly acidic scent flooded her nose, and the world turned blank.

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><p><em>How!,<em> his mind roared. _How could a mere, pathetic human so easily claim what I could not! _His eyes flashed red, his youki swirling in perfect fury. He petulantly sent a burst of acid from his claws. The bone surrounding her melted from the acid and fell over what he assumed was the dead corpse of the woman. This petulance had unforeseen consequences, as it wiped the last traces of sadness from the pup's demeanor with a wave of vindictive fury. It urged Inuyasha to focus all of his strength and concentration on attacking his half brother, surprising Sesshomaru with the dramatic improvement it wrought.

Just as it seemed that Sesshomaru might have to fight the pup more seriously, a strangely viscous splashing noise captured the dogs' attentions. They turned and saw Kagome bursting from the rubble sword first; breath-deprived, but otherwise unharmed. In front of Sesshomaru's perceptibly widened eyes, the woman who should have died turned to the killing perfection. Her sword brandished limply at him, she proclaimed indignantly, "Hey you! You tried to kill me, didn't you!"

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><p>AN: Ah, Kagome. You never cease to amuse. Hope you liked my humble offering. Review and luvs!


	5. Pain

**Pain**

The piercing scream that ripped out of the monstrous dog made the previous roars and growls seem miniscule and halfhearted by comparison. Kagome could not help but empathize, if only for a second, with the excruciating pain contained in it. Inuyasha sunk slowly from the powerful strike that had ripped the giant foreleg to pieces, buoyed by the repelling force of the blow. Kagome did not notice. She was caught in the massive tidal wave that was flooding her mind though a tenuous link created on pure instinct to reach out with her powers and try to soothe Sesshomaru's pain. The raw feeling was so overwhelming that she was completely unaware of its source.

It was lucky that she was. If she had, she might have hesitated to use her holy powers on a demon, he would have closed himself off from her, and any chance at bonding would have been lost. As it was, Sesshomaru was not completely in his own control. Pure instinct had ballooned his aura in a last-ditch attempt to cushion the blow and latched onto a soul seeped in empathy for his pain. The purifying power of the soul reached out, cleansing the remaining harmful energy from his wound and balming the turmoil of his mind.

Inuyasha ran toward the girl, wanting to celebrate a victory shared with another for the first time.

The connection was mutually broken, him with anger, her with surprise. Sesshomaru changed forms once more, collapsing into himself with a residual glint of silver, before condensing into a ball of light and flashing through the sky.

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><p><strong>AN:** What do you think of that? Luvs and review!


	6. Regret

**Regret**

She woke from her daze with a start. _Was... was that really him?_ She stared in shock at the point where Sesshomaru disappeared.

Inuyasha finished his mad dash toward her, bragging with such honest joy that she couldn't help but smile. He had been alone for so long and she knew he needed to validate himself to her, so she obliged him.

She sobered as a thought struck her. _I felt his pain. His mortal pain. I sensed no evil in his mind, only a maze of fractures. He is a living being, and we are rejoicing in his suffering._ Suddenly the camaraderie of the moment felt hollow and weak, contaminated. She hurried for the portal back to their own world, running from the intangible echo of guilt that hung over her.

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><p>He woke to pain. Pain was all around him, crushing him, spiraling out of what was left of his left arm. There were other pains, small aches that were exacerbated by his weakened state. Confusion at the cause of this maelstrom lasted only a second before the flashing realization of humiliating defeat came over him. How? How could he have possibly lost to his pathetic excuse for a brother? <em>He won because Chichiue loved him more.<em> Sesshomaru quickly shoved that errant thought aside. _This Sesshomaru has no need for love._

The hours passed slowly as Sesshomaru searched for what went wrong, where his mistake was. His strength waned, his youki overtaxed with the task of healing his substantial wounds. He struggled fiercely to maintain consciousness, but slowly his body's needs won out and he sunk into sleep.

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><p>AN: I just wanted to thank **princess of the western lands**, who has been a most faithful reviewer, even if I can never answer her questions. =)

I have no pride any more. Please, please review! *puppy dog face* I honestly want your opinions and critique! So please take the time to type your thoughts down real fast. I'll respond to you if I can. Luvs and review!


	7. Venting

**Venting**

Kagome leapt out of the portal, walking as fast as she could to the hut of the old woman, Kaede. She needed comfort and for some strange reason, the timeworn miko was the best thing she could think of. Though she was often cryptic, distant and hard to understand with that ancient dialect, somehow Kagome felt an almost familial bond with the woman. Maybe it was because her supposed previous incarnation was her sister, or maybe it was just that she reminded her of her Grandpa. Whatever the case, Kagome felt that she could trust her.

As the girl came came bursting through the door, her mouth took off at full speed, spilling everything from a description of the battle, to the flashes, to her conflicted emotions about the two brothers. Kagome finally subsided, and Kaede commented, "Sometimes the best comb for our thoughts is our own words. The question is: what shall ye do now?"

The searching look on Kagome's face cleared, and understanding dawned. "Thank you for listening to me, Kaede. Yes, I think I know what I should do. May I ask for a favor?"

**A/N: Those who guess what she asks get imaginary bonus points! Luvs and Please Review!**

**Prompt: outlet**


	8. Comfort

**Comfort**

The white-clad demon sat up viciously, snapping open blood-red eyes and growling to warn the intruder away. The roar instinctively called out, 'Do not come closer. I will not be merciful'. The interloper, a small human girl of eight years, whimpered in supplication to the feral mind of the demon, calming it. The girl, partly hidden behind a tree, peeked out curiously at the aberration disturbing the normally mundane forest path just beyond the village. Slowly, she gathered her courage and came out of her hiding spot to peer closer at the strange person. It was too powerful to be human, and too humanoid to be animal. As she crept closer, she saw it. Blood. So much blood, coating the forest floor. Starting with glistening red drops still dripping from the remains of his left arm, it spread, darkening, culminating in disturbing black pools a good meter from its source.

Sesshomaru's body drew up once more, less violently than before, to stare at her with vacantly defensive eyes, emitting a low growl from the back of his throat. The girl smiled gently, approaching him as cautiously as any wounded animal until she could clasp his hand. She started to speak but her mouth fell shut unused. Instead, she she stroked the back of his palm, wordlessly promising peace and as much comfort as she could give. All at once, the tension in his body released and he fell once more into oblivion, unconsciously entrusting himself to the small, weak human child whose aura was so like the miko's.

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><p><strong>AN:** I love Rin! She makes so much sense to me. She is the proof of his heart. Luvs and review!


	9. Daydreams

The black-haired girl sat at the back of the classroom, idly staring out of the window at the structured maze of city streets below. The teacher droned on half-heard as her mind traveled in wavy, slow-moving paths along her memories. It grazed by familiar meadow paths and huts housing somehow familiar people. It zoomed past unpleasant memories of violence and creatures of nightmare. It snagged briefly on lingering guilt from a mistake with disastrous consequences, then rested on visions of silver hair and golden eyes. Impressions of gruff words and muffled sweetness gave way to sensations of frosty dignity and fierce roaring. Her mind settled on the encounter that had haunted her with its complexity and strange beauty.

She sighed as she remembered the sense of wronged conscience that came with the strange end of their encounter with the powerful demon Sesshomaru. Blood bloomed in her cheeks as she remembered the graceful features of the source of that frightening power. He was elegant and beautiful in an almost effeminate way, strongly contrasting the rough, masculine features of Inuyasha. Both were attractive in their own way, but the older brother had a mystique and grace that fascinated her. She unconsciously licked her lips as she idly wondered what could happen to melt that indifferent mask of his.

Kagome jumped, eyes wide as she realized that she had been daydreaming about kissing Sesshomaru, of all people. A demon, one that had attacked her and attempted to murder Inuyasha. _But... there was something. In that moment, I know I felt it. He's good. **I know it**._

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><p><strong>AN: **Ooh, Kagome. Such dirty thoughts you have. Luvs and please review!


	10. Deal

As the scent of blood drove him forward down the forest path, Sesshomaru contemplated this strange turn of events. Just a few days ago he had felt no pity for humans and their inferiority whatsoever, and now he was made anxious, almost panicked, by the smell of one human's blood. The girl, Rin, combatted every notion that he held about humans. He believed them cowardly, and she approached him in his feral state, a thing that would have wet the trousers of most warriors. He believed them weak, and she had the strength to smile, despite painful injuries. He believed them selfish, and yet she did all of this, simply to give him comfort in his pain. There can be only one explanation for this, he thought, as he came upon the still body of the broken and bloody remains of the girl whose essence had so recently fled. _Rin is... special. She is different than the others._

At that moment, Tensaiga stirred. A lesser being would have jumped, but Sesshomaru kept a tight grip on his startle reponse. He looked down at the spirit sword that he disdained so much, curious as to what possible use it could presume to offer. As the message of the sword became clear, he resisted the urge to raise his eyebrow at it. It would attempt to negotiate with him? _Fine,_ he countered telepathically, _this Sesshomaru accepts your condition, with a condition of my own. You must instruct me as to your use in battle._

The sword pulsed once more in acceptance, before concentrating its energy to the girl. As the image of the path was revealed, Sesshomaru cut down the vile imps that tried to land their grubby hands on that unique soul inside the girl. As it sank back into its healed body, the soul glowed with a purity and transparency that was so familiar. As blood flowed once more, Rin sucked in greedy breaths even before her eyes opened.

Sesshomaru stared for a moment at the little girl that had returned from the dead. For some strange reason, he wanted her to stay near. He couldn't ask her to stay, but he could give her an opportunity, and hope that she took it.

As he turned to walk away, he silently let out his held breath as she called out, hurrying behind him and his retainer. He would not think of the future, or the repercussions of this decision. All he could do is bask in the echoingly familiar sensation of her aura, and the affection and purity that rolled off of it in waves, soothing the recently discovered hole that subconciously plagued him at an instinctual level.

**A/N: Sorry, I meant to post this sooner, but there were technical difficulties. Keep reviewing and luvs!**


	11. Transformation

**Chapter 11: Transformation**

Kagome looked around nervously, still selfconscious about this. Kaede had promised protection from prying eyes, but the still she worried. When she had first begun this insane quest in the Feudal world, she had utterly resolved, no matter what was said, that she would never complete her miko training. She had grown up in a shrine; she knew what was entailed, and she had decided that, modern woman that she was, she did not need to endure that ordeal. The fateful confrontation with Sesshomaru had changed all of that. It had broken her idealism, shattered her into realizing the danger of this world, her own fragile mortality, and the utter folly of the belief that this was all some dream or crappy TV show where the hero is always stronger, is always invincible, and is always, always right. She knew now that she would have to complete the ritual, no matter how arcane or mortifying it was. It was the only way she would survive.

The training was brutal, made more so by the effort of keeping it hidden from the keen senses and keener instincts of Inuyasha. She didn't know quite why she worked so hard to keep it hidden from him, besides the immediate mortification. Even in the face of his constant degradations, it was a stone wall inside her, bricked with bitter pride at her accomplishments in the face of her sense of uselessness, and mortared with and unwillingness to have an audience until she was sure of her success. So she watched warily, only going out with Kaede to train when she either had a very good excuse, or when she was sure that he wouldn't notice.

What she didn't realize is that even without knowledge of her training, the sharp-eyed hanyou still observed many changes in her. Her body language changed, becoming more self-aware and assured; her muscles became more toned; she looked healthier, brighter; her aura was more controlled, less given to flares and spurts, though still open, flowing. She still acted the same, kind, compassionate, given to fits of anger, and naively friendly to everyone, but she stuttered less, was more composed, and her voice shifted, became less shrill and more full, more river than bubbling stream. Inuyasha didn't know what was causing it, but he feared it, feared it changing his first true friend, and so he tried to undermine it by taunting, being derisive, trying to convince himself that she did need him, that she wasn't strong enough to leave him, and for the most part, she let him. Slowly, though, resentment, fear, and secrecy were picking at the gap in their bond, the hole that was there, created by the inherent mismatch of their souls' edges. The wheels of Fate began to turn.

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><p><strong>AN: As you can see, the storyline is starting to branch further off the canon path. Next chapter will give more details of the actual training and rituals that Kagome is undertaking. WARNING: The rituals I describe will be totally and completely fictional. I am making no attempt to follow the actual Shinto belief system, and no one should be offended by any misconception of the faith that is mentioned in this story. If anyone has real authority on the religion and would like to point out deviancy from any of the basic principles, I am more than happy to hear them, and I will try to be faithful to them if they do not interfere directly with the plot. Beyond that, please do not spam me with complaints. I am completely aware that there is no such ritual, it is simply something I created to enable the plot to develop.**

** Prompt: Secret**


	12. Awakening

Kagome sat underneath the Goshinboku, back straight against the relief of the trunk, legs arranged neatly in lotus position for the necessary give and take of balance and comfort. The jutting roots and pits of soft earth under her made her wriggle, until finally she settled into a position that would allow her to sit still for quite some time. She took a few deep, unmeasured breaths, trying to fortify herself for the task at hand. The scent of the forest around her, primal yet ethereal, helped to clear her mind. She set the backs of her hands on her knees, fingers gently curled upwards as she began the measured breathing patterns of meditation.

The forest seemed to rock and sway as she delved deeper and deeper into a meditative state, but she refused to open her eyes. If she did, she would be bombarded with her own thoughts and would have to start the entire process over again. So she breathed deeply and let herself release all the tightenings and blocks that constrained her thoughts into coherent channels, and instead let her mind float as aimlessly as a boat on a currentless lake.

She began, as always, at the beginning. Kagome drifted gently in the direction of her earliest past. Hazy memories floated past, deep laughter, a loving grin, the first words she learned to read. They were fuzzy, disconnected, almost alien in the difference of perspective, the strange emptiness and lack of context that made up her thoughts at that age, before knowledge had shaped, molded, narrowed it into the focused, calculating scope that it was now. Back then, it was so alienly _simple._ There was no such thing as doubt, or grief, or death. It was only sunshine, and bedcovers, and parents holding her hands up high while they walked. Until one day, one of the hands wasn't there anymore. Voices said he left, went to some better place, but all she could think was, what place was better than with them? As she rose back to the sensation of floating, her true mind cried, as she always did as she relived her memories of her father's death.

Eventually, she recovered her peace once more, and moved forward, unlocking more memories, memories that were harsher, clearer. Memories of her mother, crying late at night, of children laughing cruelly at her silence, her refusal to speak to people that would only die, like her father. Memories of when her baby brother first spoke, and Kagome answered. There was a block there, a place where she had decided to forget what had happened, shove it in a corner so that she could speak to her baby brother and not see that vacant deathlook that Daddy had, eyes staring at nothing. She started smiling, laughing, playing Ka-go-me with her classmates, always her in the middle. Soon after she met her jii-chan when her mom couldn't take care of them and keep the house at the same time. They got Buyo, the cat, she made friends, and it was as if her father had never existed.

She shot forward, to the day she arrived here, in this strange time, when demons still walked the earth, before they were relegated to the realm of myth and fiction. The fear as she stumbled into the dusty old well in the back of the shrine. The disgust at the creepiness of the centipede woman that made pedophiles look tame. The strange peace that she felt as she gaped and wandered in the middle of a strange forest, the urge for completeness that drove her forward until she came across the Goshinboku, and saw the inhumanly ethereal boy pinned there. The indignation of being tied up by strangers, all speaking in Old Japanese, and being hauled in front of an old miko that acted like she knew her. The combination of disconnected disbelief and adrenaline-fueled excitement as she realized what had truly happened, where she was, and that she had a responsibility there.

Finally, her life had meaning, actual meaning beyond the mask of cheer and unfocused goal of school. The resentment of the fact that, as similar as he was, Inuyasha was not perfect, and he did not fill the gap she felt in herself, and how much she wished he did, because he was so dear, and too close to contemplate leaving, though she knew that she did not quite fill his hole either. They were so much closer than friends, but not close enough for them to mesh, so instead they went on together, symbiotically giving comfort to the rift in their souls. A little after the confrontation, when she had just started her training, they had found Shippo. He had reminded her so much of her brother, and of her when she lost her father, that she could not abandon him. He helped, cushioned some of the grating between them with his innocence, and distracting tricks.

She mused on the fact that she had only recognized the hole in her soul for what it was after the confrontation. Sesshomaru, inuyoukai, had shown her, shown her by its that she knew it though, it was so easy to see. Slowly, she turned toward it, because she knew she must. Every inch she took was more painful, and as she came forward to the edge, she cringed. The echo of fulfillment was a double-edged sword, constantly reaching out for comfort, and coming back with scraps, too faint to matter. She could feel him, somewhere, but she couldn't touch him, reach him, and he was too closed-off to reach back, not that she could feel anyway. Anger stirred within herself, at the situation that she had. The one that fit her soul completely was inaccessible and off-limits in every way. She mentally scoffed and bitterly thought that the Kami must have a sick sense of humor, or maybe they just enjoy putting her in impossible situations. First the Shikon no Tama, and now this. What's next, save the world?

_Something like that,_ a voice whispered, resounding through her mind. This should have scared her, the voice, but it didn't. It felt natural, a part of her. She called out into her mind, _What are you?_ An amused chuckle was her only answer. A beckoning sensation made her turn around, back towards the center of her soul, there a glistening white orb sat, hovering below her surface, down into the earth itself, the grass, the trees, the ants that her aura blanketed. _Finally, _the orb breathed, _we can touch. I have been buried for so very long. Te__ll your mentor. The time has come, you are ready._

Some force pushed her upwards, back to the world of sensation, and Kagome gasped. She hurried to her clothing, and rushed back to Kaede's hut. She skirted around Inuyasha's aura, and once in range, blurted, "Kaede, my soul, I think it just talked to me!"

Kaede calmly looked up from her fire, and sighed. "Then you are ready. Go back to Inuyasha, girl, and continue your quest. I will need time to prepare it. Return at the second full moon. Don't worry, girl, it is to be expected." Kagome took a deep breath and tried to clear to worry and doubt from her face. Finally, she nodded.

"Alright, Kaede, I'll try. Goodbye." She turned away and walked out, never looking back to see the relieved tears in the old miko's eyes.

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><p><strong>AN: As you may have noticed, I've made some major editorial changes to this story. This is mostly because I am reposting this on Dokuga, and as I was transplanting, I realized that some of the formatting was very hard to follow. I hope this way is better. I've realized that my chapters have gotten longer and longer as this goes on. What do you think, should I keep them short or have a mix, some short, some long? Luvs and please review... Pwetty pwease? It makes my muse happy.  
><strong>


	13. Ritual

**Chapter 13: Ritual**

Kaede had been worried. Kagome usually didn't stay away from the well for more than a few weeks, and it had been almost a month and a half now. With how important her family was to her, she was sure that something had gone terribly wrong. Either their little group was in grave danger, or worse, Kagome had lost the nerve to go through the final ritual to be a fully realized miko. Many a young girl had run away rather than face the more gruesome aspects of that particular ritual. She had been positively frightened at the very real possibility that Kagome may never return to fulfill her destiny. Still, she had steeled herself to ignore her worries, and care for the people of their small village.

When Kagome had returned and immediately asked when it would be convenient to hold the ritual, Kaede had nearly collapsed with relief. Now, after she had returned from visiting her family on the other side of the well, Kagome sat, as stoically as she could when she wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. She had gone through the ritualistic "purification" ceremony, also known as taking a bath under a waterfall with a white yukata on, earlier in the evening. She had fasted for the entire day, as per Kaede's instructions. She nervously stiffened her muscles in the already uncomfortable seiza pose as she heard Kaede make her shuffling way up the forest path toward the clearing they had decided on to hold the final, painful stage of the ritual.

By the time Kaede arrived, Kagome was heaving, fast puffs of air blowing in and out her nose, her eyes so wide you could see the whites of her eyes even on this moonless night. " Calm, child, calm yeself," the old miko admonished, and Kagome made a valiant effort to control her growing fear. This wasn't like most times, where adrenaline and her powers combined to overcome and suppress her fear. Now, there was no adrenaline, and her powers remained at the normal hum that she had been able to sense more and more clearly. Now there was only her, and her mind imagining the pain that she knew was coming.

Kagome desperately wished for Inuyasha's presence in that moment, wishing for his protection, for the sense of utter safety and trust she got from him. But he was far off, made human by the new moon, and completely unaware that she wasn't safely in bed on the other side of the well. They had had to use this night in order to ensure that Inuyasha would not hear her and disrupt the ritual.

As Kaede handed over the deceptively innocent-looking cup of tea held gingerly in her hands, Kagome took a deep breath. She caught the sharp scent of something medicinal, like camphor and basil, and had to swallow against the rising sensation in her throat.

She took another deep breath, this time through her mouth, to steady herself, and shakily put the concoction up to her lips. With a last glance at her mentor, something in her eyes flared, and she suddenly downed the brew in a series of desperate, hurried gulps.

For a few moments, she didn't feel any effects beyond a burning sensation in the back of her throat, and she relaxed.

Then the pain hit. Her insides were burning in acid, and her outsides weren't much better. Now she was glad for her nudity, for every touch of a blade of grass was a thousand knives, and the pressure of the earth beneath her legs a hundred fists. Her muscles writhed in agony, in a futile attempt at escape, as her mouth opened up to the heavens, straining for a scream silenced by the constricted muscles in her throat. Her mind cried out for someone, anyone to take her away from this torture, but her strength was sapped, and her powers would not do her bidding. Even as she wished for death, her powers rose, filling her, burning every cell with its purity.

There was a flash of light, and her mind was silent.

**A/N: Again, I am not even trying to stick to the Shinto belief system, only using some of its elements to suit my purpose. This ritual is not one of those elements. It is purely my brainchild, a plot device for my convenience.**

**On another note, if any of you are still following this, the reason for my long absence was simply writer's block. This is the pivotal point in the story, and I wasn't sure to get from point A to point B. A few awesome readers left me reviews lately (you know who you are), and convinced me to work through the block and forge ahead. Thank you all for continuing to read my work.**


	14. The Beginning

**Chapter 14**

**The Beginning**

_Once upon a time, there was a strange girl who came from a distant land. This land was full of convenience and corruption, of knowledge and apathy. Through fate and mistake, she was sent to recover that which she was born to destroy. On the way she gathered enemies and allies, friends and losses. Her way was paved by the fates, her heart shaped by the Kami so that she could summon the power to destroy hate, and heal stone._

_Her test was pain, and the result was wisdom. A soul, both old and new, was reborn in fire, no longer trapped in bonds of humanity._

_All that was left, was to rejoin with her complement, and heal the stone that encased him._

__**A/N: Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging for long. I just needed to put this before the next chapter for the flow to work. The next chapter is coming soon, I promise. I won't even hold it ransom for reviews, though they do help my muse. Luvs!**


	15. Rebirth

AFT Ch. 15

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, fearing that small action would make the debilitating pain return. When she had first regained consciousness, she was disoriented at the absence, and even now she wasn't sure that it was gone for good. As she took slow breaths, she focused on the odd sensation of being aware of every twitch of reiki in her body. She felt how it flowed in her veins, pulsed in time with the rhythm of her thoughts and flared beyond the surface of her skin as different emotions ebbed and flowed in her subconscious.

As an experiment, she concentrated on pushing the current out of the tips of her fingers. There was a moment where reiki collected in her hands, pooling there before her effort broke through the resistance of the surface of her skin, shooting out in a stream of light. Her shock at being able to actually manipulate her reiki without relying on emotions and instinct was so great, she barely registered that the light was no longer tinted pink, but shone a pure white.

'Ah, you're awake now. Good. You have much to learn, and little time.'

Kagome sat up in shock at the strange words resounding in her mind. "Who are you?" she called timidly, feeling a bit ridiculous talking to the empty air.

'I am you, or more accurately your soul.' With the words came sensations. Lives, too many to count, flashing past. A heavy sense of responsibility. A mass of power, adding, molding, pinching as if creating an immensely complicated and important sculpture. Colossal patience. A careful placement, and then a red blank that ended in a brief flash of images that were as intimately familiar as her own skin. _'This... is me? But I'm not anything special,'_ she protested inwardly.

'On the contrary, young one, you are quite special. You have been created for a very important purpose, after all.'

_'You can hear me?' _Almost as soon as she thought that, she realized the silliness of it. Of course she could hear her, she was her. Kagome grimaced. _'If she's even a she.'_

Kagome felt a strange sensation of silent laughter ring through her. 'Yes I am a female, or at least the female half of a greater whole.'

_'Greater whole?'_

'We will discuss that when you are ready. For now, let us begin your true training.'


	16. Growth

**Growth**

Days faded into one another for the two destined ones. The two mirrored each other as the spring blossomed into summer with no effort or conscious direction, but with a weaving, wandering stroll. Neither noticed their subtle shifts guiding them together, but their paths led them in an inexorable journey to their collision.

Sesshomaru slowly built a place in his heart for the small girl, Rin, building a bridge of patience and satisfaction in caring for and protecting a creature that cannot protect herself. He trained under Tenseiga in the quiet corners of his mind as he wandered his lands. The sword taught him to go beyond the rigid structure of his youki training, to embrace the instinctive fluidity in its nature in a way that defied the stiff containment that the royal tutors instilled in him.

He learned to harness the energy of life, the Tenseiga's Element, to shape the world around him. It was so much more subtle than the raw physicality of Tetsusaiga's power, because rather than rip, tear, stomp as the Sword of Earth did, the Sword of Heaven's purpose was to heal, to build. The immediate impotency of Tenseiga frustrated Sesshomaru to no end. The sword slowly coached him through exercises sensing those around him. The purpose was lost on him until he realized that when his youki was channeled through the sword, the plants and animals grew in strength. When he saw this, all of the possibilities opened up. The ability to enhance your assets, bolster your allies, change the very landscape; those are coveted powers. Working with Tenseiga enlightened him to the many uses positive change could have in the path to power. Tenseiga was a strict master, limiting anything that would have a negative impact on the world, but it was no longer useless to his goals.

Kagome was undergoing a similar, though mirrored, training of her own. No longer was she the loose cannon of power that had once defined her reiki, though it retained most of its impulsivity and instinctual basis. Her power responded to conscious thought, and was of use for more than last-ditch efforts and close calls. The meditation and self-reflection exercises seemed pointless at first, but when the subconscious became more in tune with her conscious mind, many of the barriers between her and her powers were found aand stripped away under the guidance of her newly conscious soul.

The fluidity and impulse that had previously ruled her power was curtailed, contained within the rigid structures of the ritual instilled within her by the teachings of the ancient power within her. At fist this led to much frustration on the part of the free spirited young miko, but as she saw the immense growth and control in her capabilities, she realized the practicality of it in real fights where every second counted and one fumble could be deadly.

She was constantly in awe of the power that was gifted to her. The power to truly purify, to destroy harm, was something that she had never dreamed that she could possess. she could only imagine the implications of what that meant for her, and what was to come. For now, it was all she could do to try and learn to harness it as fast as she could. She trained in the lulls between rumors, wild goose chases, and schoolwork. They could all feel that time was fast running out.

Along the way, she slowly opened her heart to Inuyasha, learning to appreciate being cared for and protected, reaching across a tenuous bridge with affection and reassurance. While did not stay the same, as things never can when a person is changed so quickly, many of the basic elements of their relationship stayed constant, and respect held them together when they would have otherwise fallen apart.

Two halves of a whole were coming together, fate readying them for the partnership to come. With the arrival of summer would come a melding of mind, spirit, and body in perfect harmony not seen in 500 years.

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><p>AN: Thanks once again to all of the readers who stuck it out through my long hiatus. I know it's corny, but just knowing you care helps me work through my writers block. Please review and give me feedback. If there is anything I can improve on, tell me. Luvs and review!


	17. Melding

**Melding**

Kagome growled. "Why is this such a big deal? I'm just saying that maybe Sesshomaru's not totally evil like you think he is! Sure, he's an asshole, but that doesn't mean he's evil. It just means he's a prick and he hates you. We should be focusing on Naraku, not on your sibling rivalry!"

"Wench, I'm telling you, we gotta go after him! Don't shake your head at me, it wasn't that long ago he put a hole through my damn chest. How can you say he's not evil? We should go and put him down while he's still weak from the battle. We'll have the advantage if we catch him while he's with the little girl!"

"Sit, boy!" she cried, putting just enough power behind the word so the impact would sting without agitating what was left of his own injuries from their battle with Naraku. "How dare you think of threatening Rin? At least he cares for that girl and doesn't run off every time he sees his dead girlfriend around the corner!" Kagome knew she had said too much this time. She just couldn't find the will to care. She stood, hands fisted, staring at his prone back for a moment before pushing her way past Miroku and Sango as they stared in open-mouthed shock.

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><p>Far away from the meadow where her friends still waited, Kagome saw the shadows of the trees growing long and finally stopped her reiki-enhanced run. She sank down in the indent of a tree and began to cry. She had only been able to hold on this long with no response from her and Sesshomaru's soullink by clinging to the halfhearted affection of Inuyasha. Now that she had voiced the discrepancies between the 'perfect' and the 'enough', she knew there was no way for her to continue to settle.<p>

She couldn't help it. The proximity of him, so near and yet so far, had nearly driven her insane during the battle. While she was infinitely grateful for his help, she had needed every ounce of self-control left in her to focus on the fight at hand instead of rushing the barrier he had built across the link until it crumbled. Fighting side by side with him had at once been the most glorious and most painful things she had ever had to do.

In her grief over her private renunciation of hope for her beloved hanyou, she reached across the link that bound her and her soul's mate, for once pleading, pulling at it, rather than trying to push through. Amazingly, she felt a give in the barrier. She tried once more, focusing on her need for reassurance, her desperate desire for comfort and support... and yanked. There were a few moments of resistance before the wall cracked like a broken dam, emotions and thoughts rushing in like a flood to fill the gap in her.

The sudden relief caused her to gasp, eyes fluttering as her pupils nearly rolled back into her skull. The sense of fullness was so overwhelming that she could do nothing but ride the waves until the flow began to even out and her mind was allowed to adjust. She relaxed out of the arched line her body had become and took a few deep breaths.

_Miko_, a voice resounded inside her, _what have you done to this Sesshomaru? If you have somehow harmed this one with your powers, I will- _She cut him off, widening the channel between them to allow her energy to flow back into him. Out came a similar flood, the pressure built up from the long wait causing his flow to momentarily stop and her to lose contact. When the pressure had let off enough that his flow resumed, all she could sense was a deep sound, the mental equivalent of a groan of contentment, a sensation that made her toes curl with delight.

The feeling of the simultaneous flow was an odd one, rather like inhaling and exhaling at the same time. The satisfaction of it, though, she could fast get used to. He was the first to break the contented silence. _What has happened? _he asked once more, much more gently.

_'Well, I'm not quite sure how to explain...'_

_I suggest starting from the beginning._

_'Okay. It started with my cat...'_

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><p><strong>AN: **Thank you, lovely readers, for stopping by once again to read my humble offering. I am sorry for the delay, but I figure you get sick of my apologies and excuses, so I'll skip them. If any of you want to check it out, I will be starting a new story soon, a much shorter one, don't worry. I have been getting a lot of inspiration and critique from my Creative Writing class, so expect lots of edits and new chapters! Review and maybe they'll come even faster. ;) Review and luvs!


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